Denver Parks details plan to move and widen Bear Creek regional trail, add bridge and spot lighting

Denver Parks and Recreation on a June virtual meeting outlined a plan to relocate the Bear Creek regional trail to the south side of Bear Creek, construct a wider multi-use path and build a new bridge to reduce conflicts between fast-moving trail users and nearby picnic and playground areas.

Adam Lind, Trails program manager, said the project’s goals are “to relocate the trail south of the creek to reduce conflicts,” to build to the city’s Regional Trail standard and to protect existing large trees while adding wayfinding and spot solar lighting. He described the intended cross-section as a 12-foot concrete path with a parallel 4-foot crusher-fine path and three-foot vegetated shoulders on each side.

Lind gave an early construction estimate of about $4.5 million and said design work to date is approximately $500,000. He described the funding plan as including a Land and Water Conservation Fund grant (which he said the team expects at roughly $2.5 million total, a 50/50 match with $1.25 million federal/state and $1.25 million from DPR), roughly $1 million from the Mile High Flood District and a Denver Parks and Recreation contribution the presentation described as about $2.25 million. Lind cautioned the numbers are preliminary and likely to change as design advances.

Lind said the team will pursue required floodplain permitting — including a certified Letter of Map Revision or similar review — and must coordinate approvals from grant partners, which he estimated would add about 12–18 months to the schedule. He gave a near-term schedule of 60% design by September, a target for 90% design next summer, a final public meeting next fall and potential construction by the end of 2026. Because most bridge work is in a floodway, Lind said in-stream construction would be limited largely to an October–April window.

Councilman Flynn, who opened the meeting, framed the changes as a safety improvement: “that rather fast-moving bike traffic away from the playground and the picnic area where kids and families are,” he said, thanking staff and advisory committee members involved in the proposal.

Staff described two kinds of new crossings: a low-water crossing (a paved structure lower than a fully elevated bridge that can be overtopped in high water) and a larger bridge structure. Lind referred to a proposed new bridge span in renderings described variously in the presentation (including a 150-foot bridge example and a two-span notion of 90 and 60 feet) and said the team will refine the structural approach as design progresses.

The project narrative emphasizes minimizing tree impacts, following existing desire lines where feasible, adding tree plantings and on-site mitigation for removed trees. Staff warned there will be temporary trail closures and signed detours during construction, and said much of the work can be staged to limit simultaneous closures.

On lighting, Lind said DPR recently selected a solar lighting vendor and will present a contract to City Council; lighting will be tunable so it can be brighter for commuting hours and dimmed overnight, and the team completed a trail lighting study to reduce light intrusion into the riparian buffer and to tailor color/brightness to this natural-area setting.

During questions, staff addressed a recent short closure of an east-end bridge for inspection. Lind said that after water levels fell engineers were able to do closer inspections and “found out that it wasn’t as bad as they had originally thought,” and that the bridge is on the Vision Plan list for improvement but not part of this phase.

The project team asked for public feedback and opened a comment period through June 30; materials, plans and contact information will be posted on the project web page. Lind said the design will integrate public input as the plans advance to 90%.

Next steps: DPR will complete 60% design, proceed with required floodplain and grant-agency approvals, and return to the public with updated designs and a timeline for construction once permitting and funding are better defined.